Thursday, August 7, 2008

The Archer: Sagittarius in Myth

The name Sagittarius comes from sagitta, Latin for arrow. In Greek mythology, Sagittarius represents a centaur holding a bow and arrow. A centaur is a creature with the body of a horse and the torso of a man. Sagittarius is sometimes identified with Chiron, a kind and gentle centaur who was taught archery by Apollo.

The archer's arrow is pointed at the heart of the adjacent constellation Scorpius, the scorpion.

References:
Sagittarius in Myth
Sagittarius, the Archer
The Constellation Sagittarius

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